Operation Green Lunch
This spring we piloted a new environmental activism after-school program, called Operation Green Lunch (OGL), at Highland Elementary School, in Silver Spring Maryland.
We started Operation Green Lunch, with a lunch time assembly as a call to action for youth in grades – 3rd, 4th and 5th, to take charge in leading an environmental movement at their school.
The goal and mission of OGL is to promote ocean trash awareness, to learn about watersheds and inspire youth to be an advocate for responsible waste practices during lunch time and beyond.
“Our theme at Operation Green Lunch is working together and choosing better, every day. Unless we all choose better and work together, we cannot reduce our negative impacts on the earth and in our community. ”
Students immersed themselves in collaborating and creating “awareness art” that portrays their message of reducing waste and caring for our Earth. The art created is going to be molded onto a trash receptacle that OGL placed in the lunch room for use by the whole school. The receptacle will collect used things like used batteries, cellphones, plastic bottles and other types of recyclables.
OGL also completed two local trash pick ups along with trash analysis – where students organized and recorded findings on trash use, recycling and litter.
“This is the only earth that we have and we have to help save it.”
“I joined Operation Green Lunch because I thought it would be a good idea to save the Earth … right now things are really bad because of pollution in the water. I’ve learned that smoking and littering are not good, because if we breath in pollution it gets in our lungs and it’s not healthy for us. If your watching this you should try to ask your school to make an Operation Green Lunch and i think you should join because we help a lot!””
One of the most exciting projects students created together was an Operation Green Lunch song/anthem. This was a big accomplishment for the group and took a lot of coordination and creativity as they choreographed and directed the whole song! You can view the song here!
On the last day of class for the Spring Session each student earned their Operation Green Lunch Water Protector Certificates!
Upcoming OGL Event: United States Botanical Gardens on June 18th! To volunteer email swevolunteer@gmail.com
Stay tuned for an Operation Green Lunch Short Story Documentary coming soon!
Massive thank you to the Chesapeake Bay Trust for awarding So What Else the privilege of providing a unique and meaningful environmental education course & botanical field trip experience for the youths, our future leaders.
Shout-out to everyone with Save the Bay license plates because profits from them go 100% towards funding projects like Operation Green Lunch.
